Yucatan reinforces security against natural disasters

People evacuated from Hyatt Hotel due to the earthquake that was felt in Merida.(Photo: Diario de Yucatan)

The State Government will modify the Atlas of Hazards by Natural Phenomena as a preventive measure….

MERIDA – Due to the recent earthquakes in central and southeastern Mexico, which have even reached the Yucatan Peninsula, the State Government will modify the Atlas of Hazards by Natural Phenomena of Yucatan to identify the “red dots” in which could be impacted by landslides in case of earthquakes in Merida, the interior of the state and the coastal zone.

The director of the State Civil Protection Unit, Aaron Palomo Euán reported that he has had contact with the National Center for Disaster Prevention (Cenapred) as part of a disaster protection project.

Palomo Euán recalled that the Atlas of Hazards by Natural Phenomena of Yucatan was completed in 2013, after two years of work by the Mexican Geological Service.

People evacuated from Hyatt Hotel due to the earthquake that was felt in Merida.(Photo: Diario de Yucatan)

“We do not have much culture of earthquakes, we know that we are not a seismic zone, we are vulnerable to several disturbing phenomena such as hydro-meteorological and chemical-technological. But geological never happened here before, there are few high buildings and those have strong and solid structures”.

The state official added that the update of the Atlas of Hazards will also consider other phenomena that could affect the state in the coastal zone. In addition to that work they will execute next year a project to search for preventive data for the state.

“We are currently looking for an update, it is necessary. The city of Merida has already grown and so does the dangers we have, but we continue having the main dangers such as fires, tropical cyclones and soil sinking by caves collapse.”